Selling God is Big Business

[oloenneker]

According to a 2003 article in Forbes Magazine big churches are big business. Researchers found that in 2003 there were 740 mega churches each averaging 6,876 participants. The average net income of each was $4.8 million at the time of the study. The Forbes article states, “[the] entrepreneurial approach has contributed to the explosive growth of mega churches“.

Is it the entrepreneurial spirit or the Holy Spirit which is enticing the converts to this new religion? Some used to say that the love of money is the root of all evil and the rich man (like the camel) will forever be outside the kingdom. I guess that is just “too first century” for the modern believer. The millennium church makeover is all about Christian capitalism, he who the free market has set free shall be free indeed! Remember, this is the year God wants me to be a millionaire.


Read entire article here

http://www.forestcouncil.org/tims_picks/view.php?id=1171

[sysint]

Revelation Chapter 18.

[wolfstrike]

i wish they had a way of getting rid of the ACLU with that money

[chillbilly]

Wanker is too challenged to understand the concept of separating a loving creator from organized religion.

[geerair]

Originally posted by oloenneker


According to a 2003 article in Forbes Magazine big churches are big business. Researchers found that in 2003 there were 740 mega churches each averaging 6,876 participants. The average net income of each was $4.8 million at the time of the study. The Forbes article states, “[the] entrepreneurial approach has contributed to the explosive growth of mega churches“.

Is it the entrepreneurial spirit or the Holy Spirit which is enticing the converts to this new religion? Some used to say that the love of money is the root of all evil and the rich man (like the camel) will forever be outside the kingdom. I guess that is just “too first century” for the modern believer. The millennium church makeover is all about Christian capitalism, he who the free market has set free shall be free indeed! Remember, this is the year God wants me to be a millionaire.


Read entire article here

http://www.forestcouncil.org/tims_picks/view.php?id=1171 Yeah, it's all about the money and political influence and power.

God is no piker when it comes to sucking money out of the wallets of the gullible.

[skrewt]

Originally posted by geerair

Originally posted by oloenneker


According to a 2003 article in Forbes Magazine big churches are big business. Researchers found that in 2003 there were 740 mega churches each averaging 6,876 participants. The average net income of each was $4.8 million at the time of the study. The Forbes article states, “[the] entrepreneurial approach has contributed to the explosive growth of mega churches“.

Is it the entrepreneurial spirit or the Holy Spirit which is enticing the converts to this new religion? Some used to say that the love of money is the root of all evil and the rich man (like the camel) will forever be outside the kingdom. I guess that is just “too first century” for the modern believer. The millennium church makeover is all about Christian capitalism, he who the free market has set free shall be free indeed! Remember, this is the year God wants me to be a millionaire.


Read entire article here

http://www.forestcouncil.org/tims_picks/view.php?id=1171 Yeah, it's all about the money and political influence and power.

God is no piker when it comes to sucking money out of the wallets of the gullible.

Religious opportunists have nothing on tax and spend liberals. They're the real pros at pocket sucking.

[oloenneker]

Originally posted by wolfstrike
i wish they had a way of getting rid of the ACLU with that money

Why would you want that? You do not enjoy your freedoms outlined in the constitution? Hmmmm... What, are you a communist, or something?

[skrewt]

Originally posted by oloenneker

Originally posted by wolfstrike
i wish they had a way of getting rid of the ACLU with that money

Why would you want that? You do not enjoy your freedoms outlined in the constitution? Hmmmm... What, are you a communist, or something?

I would rather enjoy all the freedoms in the constitution, even the ones the ACLU takes away.
Such as allowing teachers to wear crosses, students carrying bibles, cities having religious symbols on their seal, mentioning God in a speech or in the pledge of allegiance, etc. etc. etc.

Those are protected freedoms as well.

[James 3528]

[i]Originally posted by geerair
God is no piker when it comes to sucking money out of the wallets of the gullible.

Reminds me of the democrats sucking it out of the wallets of the tax payers.

[geerair]

Originally posted by skrewt

Religious opportunists have nothing on tax and spend liberals. They're the real pros at pocket sucking. I expect you hadn't noticed that Bush has yet to veto a spending bill and has by far surpassed Clinton in discretionary spending.


Borrow and spend Bush.

[RoBoTeq]

Money and power have always been a lure for those who start out teaching what they believe to be of God. The physical world truly is reigned over by Satan who does have much influence over those in the God business.

[chillbilly]

for grant funding is even bigger business. LOL

[oloenneker]

Originally posted by chillbilly
for grant funding is even bigger business. LOL

So, are you saying that we should not fund science? Do your realize that if science never recieved any funding, we would still be riding around in horse drawn buggys, and using whale oil for lighting... Oh yeah, dont forget none of us would live past 40 either, because "science" has not found cures or vaccines for diseases that are long gone...

I guess you dont like the Humanities or the Arts either?

[geerair]

chilly thinks his computer is the product of a divine snap of god's fingers like creation and the talking snake.

[seatonheating]

Ya, let's all sit here and bash the funding of science and promote the funding of religion...DUH.......


Those who "invest" money in the church are the same morons who believe their wish will come true when they get the larger portion of the wishbone.

[chillbilly]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by oloenneker
So, are you saying that we should not fund science?
__________________________________________________ _______
No, but I do understand how an idiot would draw that conclusion.


Do your realize that if science never recieved any funding, we would still be riding around in horse drawn buggys, and using whale oil for lighting... Oh yeah, dont forget none of us would live past 40 either, because "science" has not found cures or vaccines for diseases that are long gone...
__________________________________________________ _______
Yeah, I realize what science has done and I realize also that science has mismanaged a disproportiate amount of money in the name of advancement too.
It's called the politics of science....and it's not a bit different from the politics of religion.


I guess you dont like the Humanities or the Arts either? __________________________________________________ _______
There's the problem wanker...you're guessing again.
Humanities and Arts have received the bulk of their money from religion, not science.
And while we are on that part of the point, where are all your philanthropist scientists and their money when humanitarian aid is needed?

So.....what is your point?
Mine was and is....science has had it's hand out for the wrong reasons much the same as religion.

You wanna' point the finger and when the finger get's turned around you start fidgeting like a schoolgirl in the bathroom before her prom.
Sheesh, what a maroon.

[chillbilly]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by geerair
chilly thinks his computer is the product of a divine snap of god's fingers
__________________________________________________ _______

Why sure it is geer. All scientific advancement is owed to God.

[kim]

Reminds me of the movie "Oh God"
The main character stands up in one of those megachurches and says God talked to him. The preacher asks what God told him. The main character says "If you want to make money sell shoes. Don't sell God"

[chillbilly]

LOL Funny.

[chillbilly]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by seatonheating
Ya, let's all sit here and bash the funding of science and promote the funding of religion...DUH.......

__________________________________________________ _____

You can sit here and bash either. Who cares?
The real hypocrites are exposed when they start defending one or the other without acknowledging the corruption in both.

How many times has your beloved scientific funding helped deliver humanitarian aid to a war zone? A famine relief zone? To the Red Cross?
Whose dollars do you think feed the starving, clothe the needy, or pay for the medicine that your science produces?

DUH indeed.

[seatonheating]

You think science had nothing to do with developing the means of transportation to accomplish that?

c'mon

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly
Why sure it is geer. All scientific advancement is owed to God. I see. In that case the next time you run into him tell him thanks for Evolution and Radiometric Dating!!!!!!

[oloenneker]

Posted by chillbilly
Humanities and Arts have received the bulk of their money from religion, not science.


Prove it!!

[chillbilly]

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/8531/ccyq3.gif
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/4792/gvprctincmorgs00nx1.gif
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/8241/cciaz4.gif


You see my friend....science is in the business of making money and securing grants for beneficial research and not so beneficial research....and they are not in the habit of giving their money to the needy.

Owned.

[acmanko]

Yep, preachers believe in the Hereafter. They love the color of money and are hereafter it.

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/8531/ccyq3.gif
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/4792/gvprctincmorgs00nx1.gif
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/8241/cciaz4.gif


You see my friend....science is in the business of making money and securing grants for beneficial research and not so beneficial research....and they are not in the habit of giving their money to the needy.

Owned. your first two graphs only show that churches are raking in the bucks. The last graph merely shows where some of those bucks go.


Nothing about how much they are giving.

[chillbilly]

Note the part of the graph that is printed CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
No doubt religious entities are given the most money....through individual contributions.

Interesting to note that individuals give very little in the name of science. It's a trust issue.

Scientific research is supported primarily through grants secured by the drug companies....and 75% of the drugs produced are pain relievers and muscle relaxers.
Giant strides science is making pushing them some good drugs.

Nowhere do we find any scientists, apes or chimps on the list of contributors to humanities. Their totals equal a fraction of a percentage point.
Hell, religion is even contributing more to the arts than ANY science related organization.
Shame-shame ape man.

It's a widely known fact that the government funds the arts and humanities and religion and corporations contribute the most.
You been brain dead for the last 40 years or what?

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly
Note the part of the graph that is printed CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
No doubt religious entities are given the most money....through individual contributions.

Interesting to note that individuals give very little in the name of science. It's a trust issue.

Scientific research is supported primarily through grants secured by the drug companies....and 75% of the drugs produced are pain relievers and muscle relaxers.
Giant strides science is making pushing them some good drugs.

Nowhere do we find any scientists, apes or chimps on the list of contributors to humanities. Their totals equal a fraction of a percentage point.
Hell, religion is even contributing more to the arts than ANY science related organization.
Shame-shame ape man.

It's a widely known fact that the government funds the arts and humanities and religion and corporations contribute the most.
You been brain dead for the last 40 years or what? And what graph that you posted details contributions by scientists, apes or chimps?

[chillbilly]

And what graph that you posted details contributions by scientists, apes or chimps?
__________________________________________________ _______

Their contributions are non-existent.

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly

Their contributions are non-existent.So show us a graph.

[chillbilly]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by geerair

So show us a graph.
__________________________________________________ _______

Huh? The graphs are there. There are no coordinates on a graph for non-existent data. That's called 0.

The fraction of a percentage point is assumed because we understand that there are some religious scientists who likely contribute to charities. LOL

Do some homework and try again.

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly
[QUOTE]Originally posted by geerair

So show us a graph.
__________________________________________________ _______

Huh? The graphs are there. There are no coordinates on a graph for non-existent data. That's called 0.

The fraction of a percentage point is assumed because we understand that there are some religious scientists who likely contribute to charities. LOL

Do some homework and try again. So show where on your graph it lists indiviual or household contributions by religious affiliation or occupation.

[chillbilly]

Percentages are given for individual contribution.
Go back and review the data.

Not a single word in any google search that even resembles S-C-I-E-N-C-E as even a MINOR player in the world of giving.
Science is in the business of spending money on other things...not contributing to the silliness of human suffering or need.

You obviously know that you have no foundation that even resembles a valid argument, elsewise you would have researched the data and provided a link that would contradict it.

[geerair]

Originally posted by chillbilly
Percentages are given for individual contribution.
Go back and review the data.

Not a single word in any google search that even resembles S-C-I-E-N-C-E as even a MINOR player in the world of giving.
Science is in the business of spending money on other things...not contributing to the silliness of human suffering or need.

You obviously know that you have no foundation that even resembles a valid argument, elsewise you would have researched the data and provided a link that would contradict it. You need to go back and look hard at your graphs. No data on how much is given or how that would compare to other groups or individuals.